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What’s a Vanity Number?

A vanity number is a toll free number (800 or 8xx) which can also be a word or word combination. Each number key on a phone has three English letters. So a number can also be substituted for a letter from the key pad. By choosing a number that also has a letter combination that makes up a word or a phrase is called a vality number.

A vanity number is easy to advertise and easy to remember compared to a phone number. For example 1-8xx-GoColts is easier to remember than 1-800-462-6587. Also vanity numbers are can be a whole or part of your brand name.

How Much Do Vanity Numbers Cost?

Most business phone service providers offer Vanity phone number (depending availability) for a nominal one time fee. But don’t make a decision as which 800 number provider to choose based on a the cost of vanity number, since its a one time fee and isn’t much compared to monthly service fees you will pay.

RingCentral a leading small business 800 number service provider is currently offering FREE 800 numbers. A vanity number from RingCentral costs $30.

FreedomVoice another small biz 800 number service provider offers 800 numbers for $15 one time fee and vanity number for $30 one time fee.

Go to our comparison page for a side by side comparison of leading 800 number providers based on a wide range of features.

The main purpose of vanity numbers is branding for businesses. The ease with which a vanity number can be remembered by prospective callers compared to a series if unrelated numbers, gives them their value.

A famous example is 1800FLOWERS. If you are selling flowers and your customers can reach you buy dialing 1800FLOWERS imagine how easy it is for you to advertise and have your customers reach you.

Vanity numbers also give you trade mark rights. You can also have a web site which is same as your vanity number.

A vanity number can have either 800 or the 8xx area codes. Plus since they are in high demand and short supply, your vanity number does not have to use all the seven letters. You can have a combination of numbers and letters, like say 1 866 123 PONY, 1800 DOCTOR1.

Benefits of a Vanity Number

A Vanity toll free number has additional benefits over the benefits of a toll free number.

1. Ease of Branding
2. Prestige associated with having a phone number with your company name
3. Domain Name, Phone Number can be the same
4. Easy retention by customers and Word of Mouth advertising
5. Additional Sales

So what’s the difference or is there a difference. Functionality wise there is no difference. All toll free numbers works the same. All are free to the caller. The toll free number system started with 800 numbers and then the other 8xx areas codes were added to expand the pool of toll free times.

If there is any difference at all, then its at a perceptional level. How a 800 number is viewed compared to the other 8xx numbers. 800 numbers are perceived in comparison to 8xx numbers similar to the way .com domains are viewed compared to .net or .org domains. But the differences in perception are very blurred now, and there is no real advantage of having one kind of toll free number against another. Go for the one you think suits your business or company.

A very basic definition of a Toll Free Number or also called a 800 number an free inbound telephone number, that a caller can call for free. As the call is free for the caller so the name Toll Free.

Toll free number are recognized by their 800 area code, so they are also referred as 800 Numbers. But now a days toll free numbers also can be 866, 877 or 888.

How 800 Numbers Work?

A toll free number is actually a call forwarding number. You choose where the call should be forwarded to when your 800 number is dialed. So you can forward a toll free number to an existing home phone, a cell phone or a business phone. And you can change the forwarding often as you like.

To have a toll free number you don’t need any special equipment or additional line or installation. All the technical stuff is done by your 800 number service provider. Plus you get many features like Caller ID, Call Forwarding, Voicemail etc on your regular phone as if the caller called you directly on the regular number

Toll Free Number is a Feature not a Phone
Think of toll free number as an extra feature and not hardware based. You don’t need an extra hardware or a special kind of a phone to receive toll free calls. Its a feature that your 800 Number service provider provides so your callers can call you free.

Its Free for the Caller Not for You

You need to pay your service provider a fee to provide you the 800 number and the call forwarding and other services behind it. So choose your service provider carefully. The cost is a factor and so is the quality of the service.